Gable-bottom car door operating apparatus



Feb. 15, 1966 Filed Jan. 28, 1963 E. O. LUNDE GABLE-BOTTOM CAR DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEILITOR E. O. LUNDE A 7' TO/PNEVS Feb. 15, 1966 E. o. LUNDE GABLE-BOTTOM CAR DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28 1965 INVENTOR E. 0. LU/VDE Feb. 15, 1966 E. o. LUNDE GABLE-BOTTOM CAR DOOR OPERATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. E. 0. LUNDE A4 M W A T TOP/VEVS United States Patent Oflice 3,234,892 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 This invention relates generally to apparatus for operating pivotally mounted side doors and more particularly relates to a door operating, locking and signalling means operable with side dumping doors for gable bottomed cars.

This invention includes singularly and in combination door operating means for closing pivotally mounted doors,

an improved, automatic latching device for locking the doors in their closed position, indicative means for indicating Whether the doors are in an open or closed position and means for releasing the latching device and for opening the side doors.

One object of this invention is to provide a safe, efficient, door operating mechanism for pivoted side doors which is operated by application of a nominal amount of manual force.

Another object of this invention is to provide a door operating mechanism designed so that only a small portion of the entire apparatus is subjected to lading weight through a tension member, resulting in a compact and light weight mechanism.

One other object of the invention is to provide an operating mechanism for pivoted side doors having latching means positively locking the doors in their closed position regardless of the availability of motive power for the mechanism.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following illustrative description considered with the accompanying drawings showing one preferred embodiment of this invention wherein FIG. 1 is a partial side elevational view of a gable bottomed car illustrating the latching and indicative mechanism of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational View of a typical side unloading, gable bottomed car illustrating the manual control mechanism of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the operating mechanism of this invention for operating two pairs of opposed doors pivoted on a gable bottom car; and

FIG. 4 is an expanded sectional view of one form of guide sheave useful in the described apparatus taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

The drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, illustrate a typical side dumping, gable bottomed car 10 in phantom lines. The car 10 has an ore or lading carrying compartment 11 defined by side walls 12 and 13, gable bottoms 14 and 15, and side doors 16 and 17. These side doors are pivotally mounted on side walls 12, 13, on pivots 18 and 19, respectively, so that they are free to fall open, downwardly and outwardly, by their own weight to gravitationally release lading contained within compartment 11.

The side doors are raised to the closed position, indicated in FIG. 2 as B, by motive means such as pneumatic motor supplied with air under pressure from the car brak ing system, for example. This same motive air, controlled by control valve means 20, simultaneously operates a latching mechanism, referred to generally as 21, to securely lock the side doors in the closed position and shifts the position of an indicator flag 22 to show, with a minimum amount of inspection, Whether the doors are open or closed, Thus, the invention has safety features not heretofore present in the art which prevent any premature discharge of the load upon yard employees or While the car is in transit. The door position indicative means allows distant observers to determine the position of the doors.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 motive means 23 here illustrated as a pneumatic motor, is connected by articulated connecting means to each pivoted side door to simulaneously pull the doors into the closed position B. The illustrated motive means 23 is a pneumatic cylinder 25 having a reciprocating piston 26 with connecting rod 27, as shown in FIG. 3. The connecting rod is connected to each flexible connecting means 24, here shown as wire cable and forming a first portion of the articulated connecting means, at a cross-head 28 mounted on the connecting rod as by cable end fittings 29. 'The piston 26 is responsive to air supplied to the cylinder 25 under pressures greater than atmospheric pressure.

Each cable 24 trains over a separate guide means such as guide sheave 30 rotatably mounted on the car frame. The free end of each cable is secured to a cable connector 31 by means of a second end fitting 32 hearing on the connector. This cable connect-or 31 is pinned to linkage means connected to the door and forming the second portion of the articulated connecting means. The linkage means includes door operating rod 33 pivotally connected by pins 34 to the connector. The operating rod 33 may be rigid as shown, may be a flexible bridal assembly or other linkage means. Each operating rod has a ball end 35 which fits into a socket assembly 36 mounted near the bottom margin of each side door 16, 17 at a point remote from the door pivot axis. Each operating rod at its end opposite ball end 35 carries a clevis 33a at the extreme end of which pin 34 pivotally secures cable connector 31.

a The cables 24 normally train in the grooved guide sheaves 30, but when the cables pull the door operating rods 33 to the sheave, the cam surfaces 31' of cable connectors 31 ride up on their respective sheaves to the dead-center position farthest away from each door (FIG. 3) and, in so doing, lift the cables slightly out of the sheave groove. The axis of the pins 34, the pivotal axis of the sheave 30 and the connection of the door operating rod 33 at socket assembly 36 are aligned in the same plan perpendicular to the drawing in FIG. 3 when each door is closed. Thus the weight of each door and any lading pushing against it is supported almost entirely by the rugged guide sheaves 30 rigidly mounted on rugged support means 37 secured to the frame of the car (FIG. 1). The motive means 23 and the flexible connecting means 24 are relieved of substantially all lading weight and, therefore, need be only of sufficient size and strength to move the doors closed while the car is empty. The motive means need not be energized when the doors are closed.

When the doors are in closed position, the operating rods 33 engage and depress spring means 38 also mounted on support means 37 adjacent to each guide sheave. The spring means 38 limit the motion of the cable connectors to about the dead-center position. The spring means are compressed at the end of the door closing motion and urge the connectors ofif dead-center when the mechanism is unlatched to enable the doors to fall freely open.

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of guide sheave 30 useful in the invention and having a pair of mating hubs 39 mounted on support means 37 which define a peripheral recess 40. This recess retains an annular slip-ring 41 having a groove 42 around its perimeter for receiving the cable 24. The surface of the recess 40 is Well lubricated to provide a relatively frictionless, freely pivotable 9 a sheave with the required ruggedness for the heavy loads involved.

This apparatus is particularly adapted to operate a plurality of doors in opposed pairs. For example, in ore cars having four or more doors, the additional doors are operated by an extension shaft 44 mounted at one end on cross-head 28. The extension shaft carries at its other end a pivotally mounted floating sheave 45. A second operating cable 24' connects to a second pair of doors (not shown) through a second operating mechanism identical to the one described above. No numerals designate these additional elements since their operation is identical and coincident with that described in connection with doors 16, 17.

The latching and indicative features of this invention provide a greater degree of safety than heretofore possible. The latching mechanism 21 is securely mounted upon support means 37 fastened to the frame of the car. The latching mechanism 21 includes vertical pneumatic latching cylinder 46 having piston 47. A latch pin 48 extends downwardly from the piston 47 and is reciprocable in and out of an aperture 49 bored vertically in extension shaft 44. The piston 47 and latch pin 48 are biased by spring means 50 to normally urge the piston to the bottom end of its stroke and the latch pin into aperture 49. Pressured air admitted to the bottom end of the latching cylinder 46 through conduit 51 forces the piston 47 upwardly against the spring bias to move the latch pin 48 out of aperture 49 and unlatch the door op erating mechanism. The latch pin is journaled in a corresponding hole in support means 37 to positively stop axial movement of the latched extension shaft 44.

A stub 52 coaxial with the latch pin 48 extends upwardly from piston 47 and out the top of latching cylinder 46. Cable means 53, which extends from the upper end of stub 52, trains .over guide means 54 and pivots indicator flag 22 pivotally mounted on the end wall of the lading compartment 11 as at 55. Thus the flag 22 is in position C (FIG. 1) when the latch pin is in aper ture 4% and pivots down to the position shown in phantom when the doors are unlatched.

The control valve means is constructed so that when it admits air through conduit 43 to the power cylinder 25 it simultaneously opens conduit 51 to atmosphere to exhaust the latching cylinder 46. This enables spring means 50 to urge the latch pin into aperture 49 as piston 26 moves the extension shaft 44 and the mating aperture 49 beneath it. After the latch pin is in aperture 49 it is not necessary, particularly during transit, to maintain pressure in cylinder 25 and air may be exhausted from it. Furthermore, the mechanism will not become unlatched upon air failure for the spring means normally holds the latch pin in aperture 49. Pressure in the air system, however, is necessary to unlatch it.

The motion of the doors 16, 17 is controlled by regulating the flow of pressured air through the control valve means 20 and inlet conduit 43 into the operating cylinder 25. When the cylinder 25 is unpressured, the doors 16, 17, the door operating rods 33, the cable connectors 31 and the cable 24 are in position A (as indicated in phantom lines in FIGS. 2 and 3). The doors 16, 17 are open. When valve means 20 admits air to the cylinder 25, the air forces piston 26 to the right (FIG. 3.) This movement closes the doors and they and their associated mechanisms assume position B (as indicated in solid lines in FIGS. 2 and 3). The cable connectors 31 move from position A to position B mating with slip rings 41 and rotating with them around their respective sheave hubs 39.

To open the side doors to discharge lading, control valve means 20 admits air under pressure through conduit 51 to latching cylinder 46. The latch pin is moved up out of aperture 49 against the spring bias and simultaneously cylinder 25 is exhausted to atmosphere. Spring means 38 then moves the operating rods 33 and cable connectors 31 beyond dead-center and the gravitational weight of the doors and lading pivot the doors outwardly and downwardly to position A allowing the lading to dump from the car by gravity.

Operating handles 56 secured to the sides 12 and 13 of the car, preferably at one corner, manipulate control valve means 20 through a connecting cable and lever linkage, referred to generally as 57. When the handle is in the down position the inlet port of valve means 20 admits pressured air to operating cylinder 25 through conduit 43 while simultaneously exhausting latching cylinder 46 to atmosphere. Movement of operating handle 56 upwardly, indicated by phantom lines, closes the operating valve, and exhausts the operating cylinder 25 to atmosphere. The connecting cable and lever linkage is spring loaded by spring means 58 to urge the operating handles downwardly to the door closed position. An inclined ramp may be provided at the end of the dumping area for engaging the operating handle 56 to force it downwardly, whereupon spring means 58 returns it to the extreme downward position and thereby closes and latches the side doors.

Various modifications to the described apparatus may become apparent to those skilled in this art without departing from the scope of this invention. The foregoing description of a specific embodiment has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom. The invention is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a gable bottom car having at least one side door pivoted along one of its margins from said car, a door operating mechanism including a rotatable guide sheave mounted on said car in fixed relation to the pivot aXis of said door; flexible connecting means normally trained over a portion of the periphery of said sheave and having a first end movable in a direction parallel to the pivot axis of said door and a second end movable in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis of said door from adjacent said door to the point of normal tangency of said sheave and said trained flexible connecting means; linkage means connected at a first end to said door at a point remote from said pivot .axis and having a second end spaced from said first end a distance equal to the distance in the door closed position from the point of connection on said door to the point of normal tangency on the furthest portion of said sheave from said door and said flexible connecting means; a connector pivotally interconnecting the second end of said linkage means and the second end of said flexible connecting means at a connecting axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said sheave; and motwo means connected to said first end of said flexible connecting means for pulling said connector to the point of normal tangency of said sheave and said flexible connecting means so that the resultant of forces imposed upon said connector by said linkage means and by said flexible connecting means acts in a plane defined by the sheave pivot axis and the point of connection of said link age means to said door.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including stop means for limiting the movement of the center of said cable connector to one side of a vertical plane passing through the axis of rotation of said guide sheave and normal to the axis of rotation of said pivotable side door.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the stop means comprises support means mounted on said car, a spring mounted within each support means for urging the center of said cable connector from its position in said vertical plane whereby the cable connector is pulled around said guide sheave by said pivotable door falling open by gravity.

4. An improved door operating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said flexible connecting means is a cable; said linkage means and said flexible connecting means are interconnected by a cable connector embracing one end of said cable pivotally connecting said linkage, said cable connector having a cam surface engageable with said guide sheave to raise said cable out of normal engagement with said sheave as said cable connector moves in engagement with said guide sheave.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with latching means restricting movement of said first end of said flexible connecting means and indicative means responsive to the position of said latching means for indicating the position of said door.

6. Improved apparatus for operating side doors according to claim 5 wherein said latching means comprises a reciprocable latch pin and spring means normally biasing said pin into interlocking engagement with said door operating means to restrict its movement with respect to said car; and means for moving said latch pin in opposition to the bias of said spring means out of engagement with said door operating means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Brosnan 105-286 X Kiesel 105-255 Kavanagh et a1. 116-132 XR Bellingrath 116-132 Kavanagh 116-132 X Kcstle'r 105-300 X Benbow et al 298-22 Lunde 105-240 Clejan 105-368 Harbers et a1 298-23 15 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. LEO QUACKENBUSH, EUGENE G. BOTZ,

Examiners. 

1. IN A GABLE BOTTOM CAR HAVING AT LEAST ONE SIDE DOOR PIVOTED ALONG ONE OF ITS MARGINS FROM SAID CAR, A DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM INCLUDING A ROTATABLE GUIDE SHEAVE MOUNTED ON SAID CAR IN FIXED RELATION TO THE PIVOT AXIS OF SAID DOOR; FLEXIBLE CONNECTING MEANS NORMALLY TRAINED OVER A PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SHEAVE AND HAVING A FIRST END MOVABLE IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE PIVOT AXIS OF SAID DOOR AND A SECOND END MOVABLE IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE PIVOT AXIS OF SAID DOOR FROM ADJACENT SAID DOOR TO THE POINT OF NORMAL TANGENCY OF SAID SHEAVE AND SAID TRAINED FLEXIBLE CONNECTING MEANS; LINKAGE MEANS CONNECTED AT A FIRST END OF SAID DOOR AT A POINT REMOTE FROM SAID PIVOT AXIS AND HAVING A SECOND END SPACED FROM SAID FIRST END A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE IN THE DOOR CLOSED POSITION FROM THE POINT OF CONNECTION ON SAID DOOR TO THE POINT OF NORMAL TANGENCY ON THE FURTHEST PORTION OF SAID SHEAVE FROM SAID DOOR AND SAID FLEXIBLE CONNECTING MEANS; A CONNECTOR PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTING THE SECOND END OF SAID LINKAGE MEANS AND THE SECOND END OF SAID FLEXIBLE CONNECTING MEANS AT A CONNECTING AXIS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID SHEAVE; AND MOTIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST END OF SAID FLEXIBLE CONNECTING MEANS FOR PULLING SAID CONNECTOR TO THE POINT OF NORMAL TANGENCY OF SAID SHEAVE AND SAID FLEXIBLE CONNECTING MEANS SO THAT THE RESULTANT OF FORCES IMPOSED UPON SAID CONNECTOR BY SAID LINKAGE MEANS AND BY SAID FLEXIBLE CONNECTING MEANS ACTS IN A PLANE DEFINED BY THE SHEAVE PIVOT AXIS AND THE POINT OF CONNECTION OF SAID LINKAGE MEANS TO SAID DOOR. 